Ohira songs are sung during the Bandna festival of the Kurmis and Kurmi Mahatos.  56 year old Chunaram Mahato of Tilgora village, Purulia is the main singer in his village, with a vast repertoire of Ohira and Jhumur songs. He learnt Ohira songs from his father and grandfather, but took on the mantle of leading the Ohira singers during the Bandna festival in his village only after his father passed away a few years ago. 

Chunaram does a little bit of farming and is a cow herd as well, but mainly devotes his time to his singing. He is part of a group singing Naam Kirtan and Baul songs through the year, while during Bandna, he leads the team of male singers singing Ohira songs interspersed with Jhumur. Since both Ohira and Jhumur are either ritual based or seasonal songs  (between the months of Ashwin and Aghrayan, that is, mid-September to mid-December), Chunaram feels that singing the songs in the wrong season does not bring the singer the same joy.